Motor protection circuit



1954 A. w. COURTNEY, JR 2,697,195

MOTOR PROTECTION CIRCUIT Filed Jan. 2. 1953 #16 H- (.0 w 71 54 0 03714 r P4553016 Cor-aor- IN VEN TOR. Aer-um M Coven s5 Je- BY 7. @ae

United States Patent Unite 2,697,195

Patented Dec. 14, 195 4 When the relay 18 is energized, it opens the switch 17 thus preventing the automatic closing of the switches 15 2,697,195 or 13 when a temporary fault has disappeared, from energizing the starter to restart the motor 10. When the re- MOTOR PROTECTION CIRCUIT lay 18 is energized, it also closes the switch 24 which is Arthur W. Courtney, Jr., Weymouth, Mass., assignor to Connficted across the thermostat Swltch Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Operation a corporation 0f Pennsylvama in operation, assuming the selector switch 21 is closed,

A 15 y J r 953 g l l0 and the thermostat 26 is calling for cooling so that its pp ca 1 amury 1 s No 329207 switch 19 is closed, and assuming further that neither of 3 Claims. (Cl. 318-452) the safety switches 15 or 13 has been opened by the safety controls, then the starter 9 W111 be energized, and will close its switch 11 connecting the motor 10 to the This invention relates to safety controls for electric l r lin A thls tune the l y 24 1 be deenermotors, and relates more particularly to safety controls L Sinee its Winding 24 Will he sheft-eirellited y the for electric motors driving refrigerant compressors. Closed switches of the Safety Controls- Relatively large air conditioning units usually have high If eithefef heth 0f the Safety Controls 15 14 Operate and low pressure cut-outs, and may h e l d relays 1 because of overload or other difficulty, the switches 15 or T e high pressure cut-out may deenergize the motor driv- 13 both Will Open, deehergiZl-Ilg the motor starter 9 mg a compressor when a temporary failure occurs in the eellslhg It to p Its Switch 11, and (heeehheethlg the water supply for ool g th condenser or h h Water short-circuit across the relay winding 24, which since it pressure falls too low for satisfactory condenser cooling. is eenheetefl In Selles With the energlZlng Circuit of the e low pres ure whom ma deenergize h motor h motor starter 9 prevents the latter from being energ1zed the unit has operated cont nuously f a l period of 2%) so that the motor cannot be restarted when either or both time when the space erved h dropped either to a very of the safety switches automatically reclose their switches ow temperature or humidity or both A temporary drop When the l p y Overload Other lempefaly Chihin the voltage of the power supply may cause the overm has pp load relay to deenergize the compressor motor. T0 restart the meter, an Operator Would merely p Such a unit usually h it safety controls i hi a b- 30 and reclose the switch 21 which would be on the outside inet so that it is usually necessary to call a service man of the front Panel of a unit or 1'11 some other eenvehl'eht to open the cabinet and reset the control which has operloeelieh- The Opening of the Switch Would Cause the ated. This not only i volv d i d expense b lay 18 to be deenergized and to close its switch 17 so that sults in periods of tim during hi h th i no i the energizing circuit of the motor starter 9 would a am cooling. Automatic resetting of the controls or automatic he closed When the Switch 21 1'S again Closedrestarting of the motor is not practical for if this was since the thermostat 20 by first Opening and then 0108- done the unit might operate intermittently without anying its switch 19 could automatically restart the motor one being aware there was a legitimate reason for the op- 19 1h the Same Way that Opehlhg and Closing of the Switch eration of one or mo f th safety t l 21 does, when tne switch 21 is closed the thermostat This invention provides a t l f restarting h a switch 19 has the relay switch 25 shunted thereacross and motor after a safety control has operated, using a sim- Which 1'5 closed When the relay 181.5 energizedple on-off switch which may be mounted on the exterior The feregehlg description of Operatieh pp to of a cabinet of an air conditioning unit or in any other starting of The meter When lemeefary abnormal C0I1diconvenient locat1on as for remote control To restart a hens Cause the Safety eohtr 018 to p the motel If there motor requires no more than opening, followed by the is ahythlhg Wrong With the eqhlphleht Whleh requires closing, of the switc rection, this will be indicated by the frequent require- An object of thi inv ti i t id a i l ment for restarting the motor so that steps can be taken venient control for restarting an electric motor which a to remedy the conditions safety control has deenergized, While one embodiment of the invention has been dehe invention will now b d ib d i h reference to so scribed for the purpose of illustration, it should be underthe drawing whi h i a i it schematic f one b djstood that the invention is not limited to the exact circuit ment of the inventio and circuit components illustrated, since modifications The electric motor 10 f d i i a f i t thereof may be suggested by those skilled in the art, withpressor which is not illustrated, is energized through the out departure from the essence of the inventionswitch 11 of the starter 9 from the lines L1, L2 and L3 What is elehhech isi of a three-phase electric System. The energizing coil 12 l. A control circuit comprising an electric motor, a of the starter is connected to the line L2 and in series with Supply Circuit for said motor: a Starter having a Switch the switch 13 of the ve l d relay 14, h switch 15 f for connecting said supply circuit to said motor, said the high-low pressure cut-out 16, th it h 17 of h starter having an energizing winding, a safety control havrelay 18, the switch 19 of the thermostat 20, and the see1) s e normally closed Switch, a relay having an energizing lector switch 21, to th li L1 winding and having a normally closed switch a selector Th en rgizing switch 23 of the overload relay 14 i wi ch, connections connecting said selector switch, said connected in the line L3 between the switch 11 and the relay Switch, Said Safety Control Switch and Said Starter motor 10. winding in series to said supply circuit, other connections The energizing winding 12 of the starter switch 9 is Connecting Said Starter Winding, Said relay Winding and e e l t0 h lin L2, and in series with the energizsaid selector switch in series to said supply circuit, and ing winding 24 of the relay 18 to the junction of the connecting said relay winding to said first mentioned conswltches 19 and 17, this connection resulting, when the nections so that normally said relay winding is shunted switches 13, 15 and 17 are closed, in the relay winding by said relay and safety control switches in series, said 24 being short-circuited by these switches in series so that {U starter winding requiring a larger current to operate said it cannot be energized by the closing of the switch 21 if Starter than is required y said relay Winding to Operate the switches 13, 15 and 17 are closed, and can be enersaid relay whereby when said selector switch is closed, gized from the lines L1 and L2 through closed switches said relay winding can be energized to op ra e s i re- 21 and 19 when either of the switches 13, 15 or 17 are lay to open its switch without said starter winding being p energized to operate said starter to close its switch, when The energizing winding 12 of the starter requires more said safety switch has opened and caused the energization current to operate than does the energizing winding 24 of said relay winding and the deenergization of said starter of the relay 18 so that when the relay 18 is energized, winding, said relay winding being deenergized by the the starter 9 is not energized and can be energized only opening of said selector switch and closing said relay when the swltches 21, 19, 17, 15 and 13 are closed. switch for completing said first mentioned connections uihendsaid selector and safety control switches have again c ose 2. A control circuit as claimed in claim 1 in which a load responsive control has a switch in series with said selector switch, said relay winding and said starter winding, and said relay has a switch shunted across said last mentioned switch when said relay winding is energized. 3. A control circuit as claimed in claim 2 in which the motor is for driving a refrigerant compressor of an air cooling unit, and the load responsive control is a thermostat responsive to the temperature of the space cooled by the unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,050,076 Wilms Aug. 4, 1936 2,068,600 Frese Ian. 19, 1937 10 2,389,396 Winchester Nov. 20, 1945 

